High-resolution ultrasonography and computed tomography of thyroid lesions in patients with hyperparathyroidism

High-resolution ultrasonography and computed tomography examinations of the thyroid gland were compared with surgical inspection of the thyroid gland at the time of parathyroid surgery in 65 patients with hyperparathyroidism. Twenty-six patients (40%) had one or more nonpalpable thyroid lesions. Thirty benign thyroid lesions averaged 7 mm in size. A 5 mm follicular carcinoma and a 20 mm recurrent medullary carcinoma were also identified. Ultrasonography detected 88% (28/32), computed tomography detected 59% (19/32), and surgical inspection detected 84% (27/32) of the thyroid lesions. Preoperative ultrasonography with a 10 MHz small-parts real-time scanner is suited ideally to complement surgical inspection of the thyroid for delineation of small thyroid lesions in order to determine whether the lesions are solid or cystic and whether they are single or multiple. This information may be important to determine whether biopsy is necessary.